Acknowledging the perfect joy of suffering in Christ, but having a little fun along the way.

Bad assumptions, bad science, bad conclusions

It bothers me when people make dumb assumptions, and then write dumb things based on those assumptions. It bothers me even more when those people disguise the assumptions and writing as authoritative, scientific and end-game.

There is an online journal called Solutions that has some creative things to say about sustainability. I like some of them, and some of them are thought-provoking. Some of these are wrong. Just plain wrong.

Take this article for example. It purports that our world cannot sustain an endlessly growing population (wrong), that the key to keeping birth rates down is making sure all women use artificial birth control (wrong) and religious opposition to artificial birth control is damning us to overpopulation (wrong).

Why is it this type of article always targets developing countries? You'll notice the photo of a women "surrounded by a crowd of children" in India. I guess the author wants us to assume either that "crowds of children" are a bad thing, or that this lone woman has produced this crowd of children.

Look, I think pregnancies should be intended. I think children should be wanted and cared for. However, the Catholic Church is not the enemy (as this article suggests). In fact, the Church is quite clear that women should be educated about how their bodies work, how to safely space pregnancies naturally, and that children are not a "problem" to be avoided.

Take a look at this thoughtful, balanced site from Overpopulation is a myth.com. Before you start buying into "aargh - overpopulation is gonna kill us all", read some more balanced views. Don't base your opinions on bad assumptions, bad science and bad conclusions.